Birdwood Renovation Charlottesville

[JLaws_2929]

Has anyone played Birdwood Golf Course (UVA Course in Charlottesville at Boars Head Resort) Pre and post renovation?  I used to live in Charlottesville years ago and would play the Birdwood course often (I believe $40 to ride).

 

The renovation looks very impressive and am curious if anyone has played in the past year. 

 

I make it back to Charlottesville about once a year and curious if the redesign is worth playing for what it cost now.

 

 

[burnsniper]

I have played it twice.  The renovation is solid - especially 15, 16, and 17.  IMO the course is better than the old one.  
 

Unfortunately they “kept” a few holes from the old layout (No. 1 and 9 (now 18) for example) and they really don’t fit in with the rest of the course.  Additionally, the renovation reminds me of several others including the VT Dye River Course and Keswick Full Cry in that the architect was clearly compromised by a lack of land.  This is most obvious on a section of the course we here holes go in random directions from a “half way house” (they removed part of the hold front nine to expand the UVA golf facility and tennis center).

[JLaws_2929]

Thank you for the info.   Have you played Spring Creek just outside of town?   If you were to play one round of golf in the area which course would you pick to play?

[burnsniper]

Lots of good options these days:

 

Best Private (and overall): Farmington Country Club Main

Best Design: Farmington East (Coore and Crenshaw)

Best Accessible Private: Keswick Full Cry (need to stay at the resort or have your pro call)

Best Public Layout:  Spring Creek (note Spring Creek is private on the weekend except for 1-2 foursomes a day)

Best Public Conditioning:  Birdwood

Most Scenic Public: Old Trail

Best Public Multiple Course Option: Wintergreen Resort

 

Ultimately, where you play depends on what else you want to do and where you stay.  You really can’t go wrong these days in the Cville area (just avoid Meadow Creek).

 

 If you are staying in town, you want to play Farmington or Birdwood.  If you want to go to wineries/breweries and hiking/SNP plus a round, Old Trail is a great option. If you want to stay at a resort Full Cry and Wintergreen’s Devils Knob (the Wintergreen resort itself is pretty meh) are the best (Birdwood also offers discounted rates is staying at the Boars Head Resort).  If you just want to play a single round on a weekday (with nothing else to do around) and don’t mind a 25 min drive, definitely go Spring Creek.

Edited July 10, 2021 by burnsniper

[JohnnyCashForever]

1 hour ago, burnsniper said:

Lots of good options these days:

 

Best Private (and overall): Farmington Country Club Main

Best Design: Farmington East (Coore and Crenshaw)

Best Accessible Private: Keswick Full Cry (need to stay at the resort or have your pro call)

Best Public Layout:  Spring Creek (note Spring Creek is private on the weekend except for 1-2 foursomes a day)

Best Public Conditioning:  Birdwood

Most Scenic Public: Old Trail

Best Public Multiple Course Option: Wintergreen Resort

 

Ultimately, where you play depends on what else you want to do and where you stay.  You really can’t go wrong these days in the Cville area (just avoid Meadow Creek).

 

 If you are staying in town, you want to play Farmington or Birdwood.  If you want to go to wineries/breweries and hiking/SNP plus a round, Old Trail is a great option. If you want to stay at a resort Full Cry and Wintergreen’s Devils Knob (the Wintergreen resort itself is pretty meh) are the best (Birdwood also offers discounted rates is staying at the Boars Head Resort).  If you just want to play a single round on a weekday (with nothing else to do around) and don’t mind a 25 min drive, definitely go Spring Creek.

Great rundown of the C-Ville scene.  Thank you.  I'm not the OP, but I'm going to keep this in mind.  We get down there a couple of times a year.  Didn't realize there were many options beyond Birdwood and Meadow Creek.  Played the old Birdwood.  Looking forward to seeing the new Birdwood.  

 

FWIW, I'm not as down on Meadow Creek.  Definitely not a destination course or a 1-and-done, but if you're in town anyway, it's a neat little muni (with the usual muni conditions and muni crowds on the weekend).  As I recall, a very quirky par 4 1st hole (almost unfair for the 1st timer).  And a very hard par 5 on the back with a visually intimidating 2nd shot.      

[burnsniper]

5 hours ago, JohnnyCashForever said:

Great rundown of the C-Ville scene.  Thank you.  I'm not the OP, but I'm going to keep this in mind.  We get down there a couple of times a year.  Didn't realize there were many options beyond Birdwood and Meadow Creek.  Played the old Birdwood.  Looking forward to seeing the new Birdwood.  

 

FWIW, I'm not as down on Meadow Creek.  Definitely not a destination course or a 1-and-done, but if you're in town anyway, it's a neat little muni (with the usual muni conditions and muni crowds on the weekend).  As I recall, a very quirky par 4 1st hole (almost unfair for the 1st timer).  And a very hard par 5 on the back with a visually intimidating 2nd shot.      

Nothing wrong with Meadow Creek - it’s just a muni and a couple of steps below the others in quality/price.  A cheaper (than the others) and nicer option to Meadow Creek is Greene Hills but it’s a 40-50 min drive.

 

Another “unique” experience that is cheap is Swannanoa which has incredible views but less than muni level conditioning and is about 30 min west of town.

Edited July 10, 2021 by burnsniper

[JLaws_2929]

On 7/10/2021 at 6:38 AM, burnsniper said:

Lots of good options these days:

 

Best Private (and overall): Farmington Country Club Main

Best Design: Farmington East (Coore and Crenshaw)

Best Accessible Private: Keswick Full Cry (need to stay at the resort or have your pro call)

Best Public Layout:  Spring Creek (note Spring Creek is private on the weekend except for 1-2 foursomes a day)

Best Public Conditioning:  Birdwood

Most Scenic Public: Old Trail

Best Public Multiple Course Option: Wintergreen Resort

 

Ultimately, where you play depends on what else you want to do and where you stay.  You really can’t go wrong these days in the Cville area (just avoid Meadow Creek).

 

 If you are staying in town, you want to play Farmington or Birdwood.  If you want to go to wineries/breweries and hiking/SNP plus a round, Old Trail is a great option. If you want to stay at a resort Full Cry and Wintergreen’s Devils Knob (the Wintergreen resort itself is pretty meh) are the best (Birdwood also offers discounted rates is staying at the Boars Head Resort).  If you just want to play a single round on a weekday (with nothing else to do around) and don’t mind a 25 min drive, definitely go Spring Creek.

 

This is a great write up thank you for the info.  I did used to enjoy playing Old Trail when living in Charlottesville.   Had heard mixed reviews on current conditions.

[burnsniper]

On 7/12/2021 at 3:58 PM, JLaws_2929 said:

 

This is a great write up thank you for the info.  I did used to enjoy playing Old Trail when living in Charlottesville.   Had heard mixed reviews on current conditions.

I have heard the course is in good shape.  Zoysia grass usually does great in hot weather.  Also, the bonus play from Covid probably let them increase their maintenance budget.  Only concern is that the lack of rain plus high heat in the area will catchup with all of the area courses soon and they may have to do an extra aeration plus grow them longer/slower.

[bbanksp]

How is Glenmore CC these days?

[bbanksp]

well i played all the Charlottesville courses last week. Glenmore was in very good shape. Greens excellent

[bbanksp]

played this last week. Course is way better maintained than the old course but they pay for that with things including MUCH higher green fees. The layout is fine. Dont like it much more than the old layout other than the conditioning. But honestly it would take another couple loops through to give a meaningful comparison since i played the old layout a hundred times. #3- which one was the green?

 

Old Trail was solid as usual. Kinloch was only a 9.8/10 instead of the 12/10 during the 15 years i was a member. Looks like they are struggling with the bent grass in the fairways a bit. Pete Wendt, the super who built that course and is now same  at Congressional was a magician with Kinloch. They miss him greatly.

[burnsniper]

12 hours ago, bbanksp said:

played this last week. Course is way better maintained than the old course but they pay for that with things including MUCH higher green fees. The layout is fine. Dont like it much more than the old layout other than the conditioning. But honestly it would take another couple loops through to give a meaningful comparison since i played the old layout a hundred times. #3- which one was the green?

 

Old Trail was solid as usual. Kinloch was only a 9.8/10 instead of the 12/10 during the 15 years i was a member. Looks like they are struggling with the bent grass in the fairways a bit. Pete Wendt, the super who built that course and is now same  at Congressional was a magician with Kinloch. They miss him greatly.

Does Kinloch overseed this time of year?  Several of the private courses in central Virginia actually have Bermuda fairways and then overseed with winter rye -  this makes then kind of rough for a few weeks in September.  
 

I have yet to play Kinloch - scheduling never seems to work out.

[Oh Hi Carl]

I've heard great things about the new design at Birdwood.  I've also walked part of the course and it looks beautiful.  Seems prices have gone up significantly, especially for range balls.  Friends who live there go elsewhere to practice because of the range prices.  

 

Old Trail course is great.  The zoysia fairways and views are amazing.  I've heard a few complaints about poor customer service and "nickel and dime-ing" at the pro shop, which degraded the experience.